Vlad's Tower
Vlad's Tower is the home of Vlad the Impaler, the entrance of which is a second "up" stair, located between the 9th and 13th levels of Gehennom (somewhere between dungeon levels 34 and 42). The stairs to Vlad's Tower may occur in the outer mazes of special levels (Baalzebub's Lair, Orcus-town, or the Wizard's Tower). It consists of three levels connected by runged ladders. All levels in the branch are no-teleport. Only the middle level is eligible to leave bones files. It is not part of Gehennom, and prayer is permitted in the tower. Vlad is located at the top level. All three levels contain many secret doors, traps, and several guaranteed items. The walls and floor of each level are undiggable. You can directly level teleport from the tower to each of its three levels, to the Gehennom levels above it, and to the Dungeons of Doom, but not to levels below the tower. However, quaffing a cursed potion of gain level on the uppermost floor will only result in an "uneasy feeling". Monster generation is biased toward chaotic monsters in this branch. Bottom level --- --- --- |x| |x| |x| ---S---S---S--- |xS.........Sx| ----|.........|---- |.>.|.........+...| |.--|.........|--.| |.|xS<........Sx|.| |.---S---S---S---.| |...|x|.|x|.|x|...| ---.---.---.---.--- |.............| --------------- There is a random dragon immediately inside the main door of the courtyard, and eight other random monsters on the level. Four of the ten niches marked 'x' will contain the following: * long sword * lock pick * elven cloak * blindfold These niches will also contain random traps. Middle level --- --- --- |x| |x| |x| ---S---S---S--- |xS.........Sx| --|.------+---- |......|.<| --------.|----- |xS>.....+..Sx| ---S---S---S--- |x| |x| |x| --- --- --- The ten niches marked 'x' contain (one randomly assigned to each): two hell hound pups, a winter wolf, two random demons, and the following items: * amulet of life saving inside a chest * amulet of strangulation inside a chest * water walking boots * crystal plate mail * spellbook of invisibility Top level --- --- --- |x| |x| |x| ---S---S---S--- |.......+.+...| ---+----|.|---- |...\.|.+>| ---+----|.|---- |.......+.+...| ---S---S---S--- |x| |x| |x| --- --- --- Vlad the Impaler, with the Candelabrum of Invocation, occupies the throne; a chest is behind it. Each of the six niches marked 'x' contains a random vampire (or a replacement random monster if extinct/genocided), and a chest. History The modern form of Vlad's Tower first appeared in NetHack 3.1.0. As early as NetHack 3.0.0, a different form of Vlad's Tower appeared embedded in Hell (which was quite different from Gehennom). Each of the three levels appeared embedded in a maze, much as the modern Wizard's Tower is, except that the lower level was directly accessible from the maze. The Candelabrum of Invocation did not yet exist, and the Wizard still carried the Amulet of Yendor. Consequently, taking on Vlad was strictly optional. Back when the guaranteed items were added, crystal plate mail was the best armor in the game. Presumably, the other ones were much more useful, too. In SLASH'EM, Vlad's tower became even more complicated, when his room was locked behind six indestructible doors, that would have to be opened using keys from Alignment quests. At least two of the keys would have to be acquired before battling Vlad would be possible. Category:Dungeon branches